There have been more than 100 years of Agriculture Education at Chapman High School.
There will be a 100 year celebration on Saturday, February 24th, in conjunction with the annual FFA Work Auction which raises scholarship funds for FFA members and students attending a Washington D. C. Leadership Conference.
The 100-year celebration will commemorate the signing by Congress of the Smith-Hughes National Vocational Education Act of 1917. which promoted and provided federal funds for vocational agriculture in Chapman starting April 1, 1918. Chapman High School, then Dickinson County High School, was the first school in Kansas to qualify for the federal funding. Records show the school had agricultural curriculum dating back to 1908 and was the first in Kansas to provide agriculture education for four years.
Registration for the celebration will begin at 3 p.m. on the 24th at the Chapman High School entry way. There will be a social hour, tours of the school, a silent auction and Supervised Agricultural Experience fair from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. The event is open to the public.
A formal presentation will begin at 4:30 p.m. featuring alumni and former advisers highlighting a century of achievements in agricultural education in Chapman and looking ahead to the future. Following the presentation a group photo will be taken of all alumni in attendance.
Dinner will be catered by Ricky’s Cafe beginning at 6 p.m. Area businesses have provided assistance with the meal cost making the meal a free-will donation with proceeds benefiting the scholarship fund. To ensure your meal, RSVP and tickets will be held at the registration table. RSVP to Melissa Reed at melissa.hildebrand.reed@gmail.com or 785-477-9313.
Free childcare will be available for those who RSVP with the names and ages of those children needing care beginning at 4 p.m. and running through the end of the work auction.
A silent auction will close at 7 p.m. and be followed by a live auction. FFA members will offer eight hours of labor for sale and can perform a variety of duties ranging from farm work and clerical work to landscaping and painting. Funds from the auctions support FFA senior scholarships for secondary education, and scholarships to defray the cost of attending the FFA Washington Leadership Conference. The Work Auction is the primary fundraiser for the Chapman FFA Alumni and has raised more than $20,000 in the past.